“I would like to debate him now because we should debate. We should debate for the good of the country,” Trump said in a radio show on Monday (local time) hosted by conservative commentator Dan Bongino.
When asked by reporters about Trump’s demand for a debate during a trip to Las Vegas, Biden, a Democrat, said: “If I were him, I would want to debate me too. He has nothing to do.” Trump is considered the favorite among Republicans to challenge Biden in the November 5 presidential election.
But the former president has not yet finalized the nomination. He rejected his Republican rival Nikki Haley’s request for a debate with her. In response to Trump’s comments, Haley’s campaign said in a statement that he was too cowardly. “Now is the time for Trump to stand his ground and agree to a debate with Nikki Haley. Nikki is ready to bring her conservative record and vision for a strong and proud America against Trump’s campaign of chaos and vendetta ” said Haley’s campaign spokeswoman Olivia Perez-Cubas. Haley, a former governor of South Carolina and ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, is far behind Trump in the polls. But she has vowed to continue challenging him for the nomination.
Trump’s comments reflect a desire to focus on a likely election duel with Biden. Biden won the Democratic primary in South Carolina on Saturday and is expected to win his party’s nomination. Trump and Biden debated twice during the 2020 campaign. A third debate was canceled after Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and declined to participate in a virtual event. Traditionally there are three presidential debates.
